predator control

I'm finally at the end of a long coop build and appreciate all the info on this site. I will paint exterior after the girls are in the coop since hubby and I haven't found a color we agree on 🤣 I have sections that are 3/4" x 20" that are open (there are 8). Is it worth putting a 1x board in...

We are 4 months into our effort to raise chickens. So far it’s been working pretty well, until today. We have a nice sized coop that sits at the far end of a fenced in area that is about 4000 sq ft in total (the area, not the coop). We put up a wooden privacy fence in December for them to have...

I'm posting this for advice but also just to lament the loss of my Prairie Bluebell and Production Red. I did not know how absolutely devastated I would be. The red especially (named Red aka the Colonel) was the sweetest bird. She would run up and greet my husband when he got home from work. She...

We found one of our chickens whose neck was stripped of all flesh and feathers but leaves a naked spine connected to a fully intact head and the breast down was perfectly fine aswell. This is the second time this has happened, the first time was either at night or early afternoon. The one we...

My folks and I are in the middle of moving, stuck at an AirBnB, while my dad's boss takes care of my 6 bantams (Silkies and Barbu). Our new house has a shed + attachment that I got to see today, and my babies will be staying in the attachment, which is about 8ft x 8ft, roughly; it might be a...

Hi, all! I have a pre-fab coop from Tractor Supply that I plan on using until I’m able to complete my long-term goal of building my own coop and run. Now that it’s built and painted, the next step is predator-proofing. Originally I wanted to bury hardware cloth to deter digging predators...

Hi.. I am really thinking about predator proofing my coop really soon before more predators start coming around. I've had ducks get taken away or injured, I really don't want to kill or relocate the animal and I want to spend more money on protecting my babies. I want to put posts in, hardware...

Im planning on building a new coop for my chickens and I'm new to raising chickens can anyone tell me a ways to build a chicken coop to be secure from raccoons? And i live in Michigan

Earlier today a dog got bitten by a snake 2 doors down from us. My girls free range in the the afternoons and our coop is fairly secure, however a snake could easily get into the run. I am currently sitting outside keeping an eye on them, but does anyone have any tips as to how I can keep my...

Anyone know where to find a good deal on hardware cloth? I don’t care about how tall it is (i’ll be using it to cover some gaps) but I need a 50’ long roll and 20 gauge and under. I’ve checked Lowe’s, Home Depot, Amazon but it’s all at least $100!

I have two wonderful Pekin ducks and my dad came up with the idea of using tomato cages to deter flying predators with. I thought the idea was a good one and my ducks love having the extra protection

Hi fellow Duck lovers, Its breeding time and our female ducks are laying. There is a large open pond at the end of the communal Gardens (so no fencing). There are a nice mix of both wild, and our own raised ducks living there, and built a house for them to lay in which they are now doing...

I've narrowed it down to KCs vs Pekins but am happy to consider other breeds Requirements: I'm looking for the best breed to accomplish three things 1. Keep my 1/2 acre pond surface algae growth under control 2. Eat the massive invasion of trap door snails my pond has 3. Not get eaten by...

Hello Chicken Forum Users, I've been a long time lurker, and this is my first post here, looking for some forensic expertise and advice. This morning I woke up to tragedy in the chicken run; which is a large fenced pen with no roof. Inside of the run is a medium sized coop, which itself has...

hello everyone! this morning as i was sitting at the kitchen table looking out into the backyard i noticed our free ranging silkie wasn’t caught up where the rest of the group was, which is typical for her. she was in the middle of the yard, the others in a currant berry bush. i pointed this out...

Do you use bird netting to protect your chickens from hawks? I’d like to cover my entire yard and have been watching some videos. I’ll attach one here: If you can offer advice or share photos of your netting, I’d be really grateful!!

Hi there. New around here. Just moved to a 1.5 acre lot that has an existing coop that I’d like to fix up. Wwyd to predator-proof this? I’m in Colorado near Longmont, raccoons, foxes, birds of prey, maybe even a wandering bear. The run just has normal chicken wire on it. Do I need to do a...

I hate saying it, but my barn has rats. We’ve struggled with this problem for about a year and a half now. We’ve tried everything. Electric traps, pet friendly poison, & even hunting them at night. We have livestock dogs, but they don’t help either. We keep all our food in bins, our barn is...

Finally caught this jerk! :wee

Yesterday I was cleaning the coop, putting all the old pine shavings in your basic 5 gallon bucket. I normally empty out the bucket in a little composting area in my backyard, but I guess I forgot to do that, because when I woke up today the bucket was near the coop, and it looks like an animal...